Liposome technology has been utilized for drug delivery in clinical therapy and scientific research. The current methods for liposome preparation are used largely for small-scale laboratory research. Exemplary methods include a lipid dry film rehydration/extrusion method, a detergent dialysis method, and an ethanol evaporation and dilution method.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,901,708 and US Patent Publication No. 2007/0042021, incorporated herein by reference, refer to a two-step method for liposome preparation: (i) using a T-connector to mix a lipid-organic solvent solution with an aqueous solution; (ii) diluting the mixture with an aqueous solution.
The currently available methods present difficult problems associated with scalability, low reproducibility and product heterogeneity. There exists a need for improved methods to make liposomes for use in drug delivery.